


After the Storm

by RainbowSerenity



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Polarized
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-27 16:19:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5055460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowSerenity/pseuds/RainbowSerenity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No amount of rewinding could ever fix this. Max wondered if the guilt would ever end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Contains **major spoilers for Polarized**.

“Where to?”

A startled breath escaped Max before she could stop herself. She glanced around in reaffirmation that it was Chloe who’d spoken. They were alone in her truck, and a quick glance at the clock told her that several hours had passed since either of them had spoken.

Since they’d left behind Arcadia Bay.

“Um…” Max shook her head a little and readjusted herself in her seat. Though they were traveling down a fairly nondescript road, the sight of debris and her hometown destroyed was still in her line of vision, right behind her eyelids. “I don’t know. Where do you think we should go?”

“I was thinking Los Angles,” Chloe replied. There was a calmness to her voice that Max hadn’t heard since they were kids. “I mean, that’s where…where Rachel should have ended up.”

“Maybe.”

“Or we could hit up San Francisco. Maybe get some of your photos out there.”

“I don’t know, Chloe.”

“…Yeah, sorry. Bad idea.”

It wasn’t a bad idea, not really. In fact, Max could all too well recall a reality where going to San Francisco had been a complete dream come true. There was still a shot that things could turn out well for her and Chloe out there.

But she knew she didn’t deserve it.

Honestly, she had to wonder if she deserved to leave Arcadia Bay at all. Not everyone was gone – she’d seen Pompidou (but not Frank) crawl out from under some wreckage, and she’d spotted Alyssa and Kate helping a trucker try to find survivors. There were still people there. The town would recover with time.

But the tornado had been _her_ fault. If anything, _she_ was the one that should’ve been going through wreckage. _She_ was the one who should have been bruised and battered and burned, but no. Instead, she’d just run off and left her mess behind.

“Chloe?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we should go back?”

Any other time, she would have spat out some curses or laughed about how she was finally getting out of that shithole town, but now, Chloe slowly pulled over to the side of the road and put the truck in park, giving Max her full attention.

“Do _you_ want to go back?” she asked in an oddly kind voice. “We can turn around, if that’s what you want.”

“I…I don’t know what I want,” Max had to admit after a long pause. “It seems _wrong_ to just leave it behind. _I’m_ the one who caused that mess.”

“You didn’t know this would happen.” Chloe rested a hand on Max’s shoulder in a supportive gesture, giving it a little squeeze. “I mean, yeah, you had that vision and everything, but you didn’t know that it would be because of your powers.”

“But I…”

“Remember what I said up there, at the lighthouse? You didn’t _ask_ to be able to rewind time. I mean, god knows I would’ve fucked things up even worse if I could do it.”

“What could be more fucked up than destroying a whole town? And…all those people…dead because of _me_...”

“Max, listen to me.” Chloe turned in her seat as much as she could and ran her hand down Max’s arm before desperately grabbing her fingers. “I meant it when I said I knew you would do the right thing. You know why?”

“Why?”

“Because whatever choice you made was the right one. I was more than ready to sacrifice myself up there, because I knew it’d leave you with some badass memories of us. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am hella glad you saved me yet again, but…” Chloe squeezed her hand. “How can _anyone_ decide what’s right or wrong in a fucked-up situation like this? If you’d gone back and let me die, you would have moved on. Now the people left in Arcadia Bay will move on. _We_ will move on. It’s just us against the world.”

Max stared at Chloe incredulously. She’d always known her best…friend was brave – that had been proven time and time again. But this was above and beyond _anything_ she’d expected her to say.

“Chloe…”

Too late, Max realized her eyes were filled with tears. Chloe seemed to understand the spoken words and leaned across the center console, pulling Max into her arms just as she began to sob.

–

When they managed to get back on the road again, Max debated on convincing Chloe to turn around and go up to Seattle. Maybe some time with her parents would bring things into focus. Some normalcy, or something.

But no, she didn’t want to go that way. Not yet. Not when the loss of Chloe’s own parents – all three of them, now – was likely still so fresh in her mind.

For now, it was exactly as Chloe had said – them against the world.

They’d just passed the state border into California when Chloe yawned hugely. “I’m beat. Mind if we find a motel somewhere and crash for awhile?”

“Fine by me.” Though Max had to wonder how they would pay for such a thing. They’d driven out of Arcadia Bay with little more than the clothes on their backs, since there’d been practically nothing else.

It turned out that of course, she didn’t have to worry. Once they pulled into the first least sketchy-looking place they could find, Chloe pulled out a familiar-looking wallet.

Joyce’s wallet.

“I figured that she wouldn’t want me to leave unprepared,” she explained in a quiet voice when Max stared in confusion. “I know it was probably shitty of me, but…”

“No…not at all.” Max managed a tiny smile. “You’re right. It’s like she’s still taking care of you.”

Chloe’s face twisted into an expression that might have been a wistful smile, but it was darkened by sadness. Wordlessly, she got out of the truck and Max quickly followed.

The only vacancy had one bed, but that was just fine with them. In fact, it wasn’t until the desk clerk had even mentioned _bed_ that Max realized how exhausted she was. When was the last time she’d actually slept?

Since neither of them had anything to unpack, both of them fell into the bed practically the moment they let themselves in the room. Max sighed and toed off her shoes, deciding to shuck her jeans and hoodie as well, to sleep more comfortably. Chloe ended up in just her tank top and underwear, too.

Perhaps it was the result of a lifetime of friendship, but what should’ve been awkward simply wasn’t. Or maybe they were still too exhausted to care. Max just burrowed under the covers, like that would hide her from the outside world. Chloe did the same, but her breathing wasn’t even enough to tell Max that she’d fallen asleep right away.

“Chloe?”

“Yeah, Max?”

“Do you think we’ll ever be happy after everything that’s happened?”

Chloe didn’t even pretend to front with a bullshit answer. “I don’t know. Maybe one day, when we rule the world.”

Max made a noncommittal sound and lay on her side to stare at the blank wall. Sure, laying in a bed was nice, but despite her exhaustion, it hadn’t occurred to her until this moment that there was no way she’d be able to close her eyes without seeing that tornado and what it’d left behind.

What _they_ had left behind.

In a motion that felt oddly natural, Chloe turned on her side as well and wrapped her arm around Max’s waist, pressing up against her comfortably. Max found her hand and laced their fingers together desperately, not realizing until right this moment that she just needed to be close to someone.

“I’m still amazed that you saved me,” Chloe murmured a moment later. “I’ll always be amazed and grateful and all that mushy shit. I just…can’t believe you’d go through such lengths to do it.” She sighed, her breath tickling Max’s skin. “Was I really worth it? Are you going to decide it was a shitty decision and find some way to go back?”

“What?” Max turned as much as she could. “Chloe, of _course_ not. I will _never_ abandon you.” The words were coming out before she could even think about it. Maybe it was the exhaustion…but really, it was the truth. “I tore up that photo because I couldn’t bear to lose you again, even if the cost was so immense. You told me that whatever choice I made was the right one, and you’re right. This _is_ the right one. I – I love you, Chloe. I always will.”

Chloe stared in shock, her face barely illuminated by the lights outside the motel room’s window. Her eyes searched Max’s face, maybe for a lie, but then said slowly, “…You really do mean that. All of it.”

“Yes, Chloe. I do.”

Max’s eyes had already fallen closed by the time Chloe closed the gap between their lips. This was nothing like a kiss done on a dare – this one was slow and meaningful, filled with promises and love and support.

She knew it would be a long time – if ever – before the scars left by what she’d done would fade. She did not know if she would ever return to Arcadia Bay or even if she wanted to take a photograph ever again.

But she knew that the world that was in front of her suddenly seemed much less frightening when Chloe was by her side, especially because when she closed her eyes during their kiss, she didn’t see destruction behind her eyelids.

She saw hope.

And the chance to make things right on her own.

**Author's Note:**

> I always liked to imagine that those two would eventually go on a road trip somewhere, but...not like this. Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa /dissolves into sobs
> 
> I did see both endings, but I vastly prefer to sacrifice Arcadia Bay. I'm way too protective of my ships! They must remain together! 
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](http://rainbowserenity.tumblr.com/) if you wanna say hi!


End file.
